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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: band · arm · trunk · roll · suit · rock · stock · bore

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. bore — to tire
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. stock — goods
  5. bore — to drill
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. suit — in cards
  9. roll — a list
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. rock — a stone
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. suit — to fit
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. rock — music
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. roll — a cake
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. suit — clothes
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. band — a ring
  24. stock — shares

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com